Switching device



April 27, 1943. 'R. F. MALLlNA SWITCHING DEficE Filed July 12, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet l mm 0 3 Q m/vs/v TOR REMALL/NA A 7' TORNEV April 27, 1943. R. F. MALLINA SWITCHING DEVICE Filed July 12, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 a2 a4 3 a //vv/v TOR R. F MAL L WA A T TORNEW April 1943- R. F. MALLlNA SWITCHING DEVICE Filed July 12, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 m MHL U M M EA .m W WT 5 WM Patented Apr. 27, 1943 SWITCHING DEVICE Rudolph F. Mallina, Hastings on Hudson, N. Y.,

assignor to Bell Telephone Laboratories, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July 12, 1941, Serial No. 402,223

10 Claims.

This invention relates to switching devices and particularly to improvements in switching devices suitable for use in telephone or other communication systems.

An object is to simplify the operating characteristics and reduce the cost of switching devices of the type in which a comparatively small number of automatically established electrical connections are desired.

Heretofore such minor switches were generally of the so-called rotary type in which a set of wipers were rotated in steps to establish connections with terminals in a semicircular bank. Other types of minor switches have also been employed in which selections to establish connections between sets of contacts were attained by the use of so-called code bars operated by code impulses. Such switches generally partake of the principles embodied in the well-known crossbar type of switches.

The present invention relates to this latter type of switching mechanisms and a feature thereof is an arrangement comprising a series of select fingers, a series of code bars, a set of contact springs associated with each finger, means operative in response to the operation of any combination of code bars for selecting a corresponding select finger, and means thereafter operative for actuating said select finger to control a corresponding set of contacts. This switching mechanism may take the form of an arrangement in which magnets controlled by code impulses are arranged to shift series of code bars, in which the select fingers are connected to a select bar and arranged across the code bars, a set of contact springs associated with each finger and a hold bar operated by a magnet, these elements being so arranged that on the operation of any combination of code bars, the select bar is actuated by said operated code bars to tension the fingers against the code bars, and one of said fingers is permitted to enter slots in the code bars aligned by the selected code bars. The selected finger is by this entry into slots positioned so that the subsequent operation of the hold bar will act on said finger to operate the associated contact springs. A special feature of this invention is an arrangement whereby the operation of any of the code bars causes the select bar to be actuated by a cam arrangement to tension the fingers against the code bars.

A modified form of the invention is to have two sets of code bars, two hold bars and two sets of contact springs in combination with a single select bar having two sets of select fingers whereby the operation of one or the other set of code bars in combinations causes the select bar to tension the fingers against the operated set of code oars and one of the fingers to enter aligned slots for the operation of an associated set of contact springs by an associated hold bar.

The invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a top view of a mechanism embodying the applicants invention;

Fig. 2 is a front view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1;

Figs. 3 and 4 are fragmentary side views of the mechanism shown in Fig. l with Fig. 4 showing a select finger in operated position;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1 with code bars, the select bar, the hold bar and a set of select springs in actuated positions; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary side view of a modified form of the switch structure in accordance with the applicants invention;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of the modified form shown in Fig. 6.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to Figs. 1 to 5, the mechanism may consist of a mounting frame 10 which may be secured in any suitable manner to supporting members (not shown). On plate ID are arranged all the various parts of a switching mechanism embodying the applicant's invention. Four code bars indicated by the numeral H and in the shape of flat narrow tapes are located close together and supported for longitudinally slidable movements in a channel or U-shaped runway which is formed with one side member 62 bent up from the mounting plate 13 secured on the underside of plate It and another L-shaped side member M secured to plate l3, with the plate [3 serving as the bottom member of this runway. These tapes are secured at one end individually to springs 16 mounted on a frame member ll secured to plate In and at the opposite ends these tapes are connected individually to extensions on the armatures [8, I9, 20 and 2| which are controlled by the code magnets 22, 23, 24 and 25, respectively. These magnets are mounted on plate it. This arrangement is such that when the magnets are energized the armatures are attracted and move the code tapes towards the right looking at Fig. 1 against the tension of springs it. These tapes are provided with slots such as are shown at 26, for example, in Fig. 5 in various positions to permit selections as will be hereinafter described. Between the support- 56 secured to the mounting plate It.

ing member ill and a similar supporting member 23 also secured to plate i is rotatably mounted a select bar 38. This bar is provided with select fingers 32. In Fig. 1 three of these fingers have been shown. These fingers extend across the tapes H for purposes as will hereinafter be described. To the select bar 36 at the right-hand end thereof looking at Fig. 1 is connected an arm 34 which is provided at its free end with a roller 35 located in depressions 35 on the lower side of the tapes ll so that when one or more of these tapes are shifted longitudinally toward the right looking at Fig. l, the roller 35 Will ride down on the left-hand sides 31 of these depressions which are slanted or cam-shaped and thereby cause the select bar 38 to rotate and tension the springs 32 against the tapes ll. At the rear of the structure series of contact springs are mounted in groups, one group for each finger 32. In Fig. 1 three of these groups have been shown and indicated in general by the numeral &9. These groups of select springs are mounted on individual brackets 4i secured to the plate I3. Associated with each group of select springs is an operating spring 42 which extends with the associated select springs through an opening 43 in the mounting plate It) towards the front of the mechanism. Every other one of these select contact springs in a group is held stationary by an individual stop plate 44 (insulated) mounted on plate H] and which is provided with slots 45 against one side of which these stationary springs are tensioned towards the left as shown in Figs. 1 and by means of upwardly extending projections 46. The associated movable springs are connected together through an insulation stud 41 which extends through openings in the stationary springs except for the last spring toward the left shown in Fig. 1. This stud 47 is also connected at its right-hand end to the operating spring 42 so that on the shifting of the operating spring 42 towards the left (looking at Fig. 1 or 5), the movable springs are moved toward the left and engage corresponding stationary springs. At the free end of the operating spring 42 is connected transversely a U- shaped member 49 which extends downwardly looking at Figs. 1 and 5 to a position opposite a corresponding select finger 32 but not normally in engagement with this finger. Between the Ushaped members 49 and the mounting plate i0 is located a longitudinally extending hold bar 52. This hold bar as shown consists of a tube of square cross section and is mounted to be shifted toward the left by being connected at one end to an extension 53 on an armature 54 which is controlled by a hold magnet 55. This hold bar 52 is slidably mounted in the brackets The hold bar is restored to a normal position by a spring 51 attached to the armature 55 and to the yokepiece 58 for the hold magnet which yokeepiece is in turn secured toplate lit. The hold bar is provided, adjacent each U-shaped extension 49 and opposite the fingers 32, with forwardly extending brackets 58 which are bent upward to form an extension 68 for engagement with the associated finger 32 when the latter is lowered between this extension 68 and the U-shaped member 49 to actuate the connected operating spring 42 and the associated select springs as will hereinafter be described.

If reference is now made particularly to Fig. 5,

a description will be made of the operation of.

this mechanism. 'ine'nrst operations that take place are the energizing of a combination of the code magnets 22 to to shift the associated tapes H towards the right looking at Fig. 5. Depending on the particular combination of tapes shifted, slots in the tapes will be aligned transversely opposite one of the fingers 32. The shifting of these tapes also causes the cam-shaped sides 3'! of the depressions 36 on the underside of the tapes to act on the roller tomove it downwardly and thereby cause the rotation of the select bar 30 and in turn move the select fingers to tension them against the upper surfaces of the tapes I i. As stated, slots in the tape will now be aligned as shown, for example, at 26 in Fig. 5, for the first corresponding finger 32 which will therefore drop into these slots across the tapes. The free end of this finger 32 will thereby be placed between the upwardly extending projection 60 of the associated extension 59 on the hold bar 52 and the U-shaped member 39 on the operating spring 42 and the associated set of contact springs. If now the hold bar 52 is operated by the armature 54 through the energization of magnet to shift towards the left, the projection 63 will engage the finger 32 and press it against the U-shaped member 49 and thereby cause this member to be shifted towards the left and cause the corresponding shifting of the operating spring 42 and through the stud il shift the movable contact springs towards the left to engage theassociated stationary springs. The hold magnet will now hold this finger and the associated springs in this operated position, while, of course, the operated code magnets may be deenerg'ized and the selected tapes returned to normal. The return of the tapes to'normal will restore the select bar 30 to normal by means of the cam surfaces 31 operating on roller 35. This restoring of the bar 30 will restore all the fingers 32 to normal except the one engaged in slots 26 although this finger will be bent to move out of the slots 25 due to the cam surfaces 62 on the right side of the slots 26 looking at Fig. 5 forcing this finger out of the slots. However, the

-' finger is flexible enough to permit the free end of the finger to remain clamped between the projection and the U-shaped member 39 The hold magnet 54 will remain energized until the connection between the set of contact springs is no longer desired when it is deenergized to return the hold bar to normal position and thereby release the finger 3 In the modified form of the applicants invention as disclosed in Figs. 6 and '7, arrangements may be such that two rows of select springs indicated respectively and in general by the numbers 65 and 6? may be located on opposite sides of a U-shaped supporting plate 69' mounted on the mounting plate it corresponding to mounting plate i6 in Fig. 1 and the mechanism is such that selections may be made from either one of these groups of contact springs by having duplicate sets of code tapes such as 12' for the springs set in the upper row and code tapes 73 for the springs in the lower row and corresponding hold bars 74 and 75. A common select bar 7-? is provided with select fingers l5 for the upper row of springs and select finger iii for the lower row of. contact springs. The select bar 1'! is in this case held in the neutral position by a projection being engaged by opposing springs 8| and 82 for movement in either direction against the tension of these springs. The select bar 11 isalso provided with an extension 83 having two rollers BEFa'nd 86 engagin respectively slots in the upper group of select tapes I2 and lower group of select tapes 13. In operating this mechanism, the cod tapes in eitherof the groups 12 or 13 may be actuated in combination to start the selection. If, for example, the code tapes in the upper group 12 are operated, fingers such as '58 will then be pressed against the code tapes and corresponding slots in the code tapes will be aligned opposite one of these fingers for the lowering of this finger in said slots. The select bar will in this case be rotated in a clockwise direction by the roller 85 riding down on the cam surfaces 87 of the slots 89 in tapes 12 thereby causing the finger 13 to enter the aligned slots. The finger 18 will thereby be passed between the upwardly bent extension 90 of the projection 9| connected to hold bar 14 and the U-shaped projection 92 on the operating spring 93 which controls the movable springs in the group 68 to connect with. the stationary springs in the same manner as described in con- This opernection with the preceding figures. ation will take place when the hold bar 14 is moved toward the left to press the finger 18 against the U-shaped portion 92 of the operating spring at. Similarly in case a selection is desired from among the lower groups of springs 61, the tapes 13 will be operated in combination to cause corresponding slots to be aligned in front of a particular finger such as for example finger i9, and the select bar TI will be rotated in the opposite direction to raise the finger 19 to pass between the projection on the hold bar 15, similar to 90 and 9|, and a U-shaped projection on the associated operating spring and when this hold bar is then operated, finger 19 will cause the operation of the contact springs 61 in the same manner as the springs 68 were operated.

What is claimed is:

l. A switching device comprising a series of select fingers, code bars, a set of contacts associated with each finger, means controlled by the operation of any of said code bars for tensioning all of said fingers and for causing a particular one of said fingers to be moved into a selected position, said movement being due to the tensioned condition of said finger and depending on the particular combination of code bars operated, and means thereafter operative for actuating said selected finger to control a corresponding set of contacts.

2. In a switching device, a series of code bars in the shape of tapes located alongside of each other, a select bar, select fingers on said bar crossing said tapes, a set of contacts associated with each finger, means operatively responsive to the operation of any combination of code tapes for actuating said select bar and for selecting a correspondin finger to enter into slots in said operated code tapes, means thereafter operating for actuating said selected finger to control a corresponding set of contacts.

3. In a switching device, a select bar, select fingers associated with said bar, a set of code bars, an operating magnet for each code bar, a set of contacts associated with each finger, a hold bar, an operating magnet therefor, said elements being so arranged in relation to each other that the operation of any combination of code magnets will operate the associated code bars and the operated code bars will operate the select bar, said operated code bars and select bar causing the shifting of a corresponding select finger in a selected position and the operation of the hold bar by its magnet will thereafter actuate the shifted finger to operate the associated set of contacts.

4. In a switching device, a select bar, select fingers on said bar, a series of code bars, an operating magnet for each code bar, a set of contacts associated with each finger, a hold bar, an operating magnet therefor, said elements being so arranged that the operation of any combination of code magnets followed by the operation of the hold magnet causes the. select bar to tension the select fingers across the code bars, cause a certain one of said fingers, depending on the combination of code bars operated, to enter into slots in said selected code bars and to thereafter cause the hold bar to cooperate with said certain finger to actuate the associated set of contacts.

5. In a switching device, a select bar, select fingers on said bar, a series of code bars, an operating magnet for each code bar, a set of contacts associated with each finger, arranged so that the operation of any combination of said code bars by the associated magnets will operate said select bar to place all of said fingers in connection with said code bars and one of said fingers further actuated to drop into slots in the operated code bars to cause said finger to come in operative relation with the corresponding set of contacts, a hold bar and a magnet for operating said hold bar arranged so that the operation of the hold bar will actuate it to engage said selected finger to operate the associated contacts.

6. In a switching device, a select bar, select fingers associated with said bar, a row of code bars, an operating magnet for each code bar, said select fingers and code bars being so arranged that the operation of any combination of said code bars by their respective magnets causes said select bar to be actuated to preselect the fingers and to further select a particular finger depending on the combination of code bars actuated, a set of contacts associated with each select finger, an operating spring associated with each set of contacts, a hold bar, a magnet for operating said hold bar, said hold bar being associated with said operating springs to cooperate with the selected finger and the associated operating spring to actuate the associated set of contacts when said hold bar is actuated by its magnet.

7. A switching device comprising a select bar, a series of select fingers on said bar, a series of code bars, means for shifting said code bars in any combination, a set of contacts associated with each finger, a hold bar, means for shifting said hold bar, a projection on said select bar, a cam on each code bar, said projection being so arranged in relation to said cam that on the shifting of any combination of code bars the cams thereon engage said projection to actuate said select bar to cause one of said fingers, depending on the code bars shifted to enter the slots in the shifted code bars, and means thereafter responsive to the shifting of the hold bar for engaging said selected finger and cause it to actuate the associated set of contacts.

8. A switching device comprising a select bar, a series of select fingers on said bar, a series of code bars, means for shifting said code bars in any combination, a set of contacts associated with each finger, a hold bar, means for shifting said hold bar, a projection on said select bar, a cam on each code bar, said projection and cams being so arranged in relation to each other that on the shifting of any combination of code bars the associated cams thereon engage said projection to actuate said select bar to select one of said fingers, depending on the code bars shifted, to enter slots in the shifted code bar, means responsive to the shifting of the hold bar for engaging said selected finger and cause the actuation of the associated set of contacts, and means for restoring said select bar to normal when the code bars are released to restore all of the fingers to normal position except the selected finger while this selected finger is engaged.

9. A switching device comprising two series of code bars, a select bar, two series of select fingers, one of said series of fingers associated with each series of code bars, a set of contacts associated with each finger, a hold bar for each series of code bars, said elements being so arranged in relation to each other that the operation of any combination of code bars in one series or the other will operate the select bar to select a corresponding. finger of the series associated with the operated code bars and the operation of the hold bar associated with the operated code bars will thereafter actuate the selected finger to operate the associated set of contacts.

10. A switching device comprising two series of code bars, a select bar, two series of select fingers, one of said series of fingers associated with each series of code bars, a set'of contacts associated with each finger, a hold bar for each series of code bars, a projection on said select bar, a cam on each code bar, said projection be ing so arranged in relation to said cams that on the shifting of one or more code bars in one series or the other the cam or cams thereon will ensaid projection to actuate said select bar to cause one of said fingers depending on the code bars shifted to enter slots in the shifted code bars, and means thereafter responsive to the shifting of the hold bar associated with the shifted code bars for engaging the selected finger and causing it to actuate the associated set of contacts.

RUDOLPH F. MALLINA. 

